Walgreens' management team following the Alliance Boots merger is in place following the appointment of Linda Filler to the chief merchant position. Filler will be a strong addition to the team Alex Gourlay, currently Walgreens president of customer experience and daily living, and president-elect of Walgreens, is building.

Filler has a robust retail pedigree, most recently as president of Claire’s Stores, a fun retailer targeting the tween market with fashionable jewelry and accessories. Prior to Claire’s, Filler was EVP and chief merchandising officer for Sam’s Club, where she led the owned-brand strategy. She also held EVP positions at Walmart and Kraft Foods Group, and leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Hanes Brands in the Sara Lee Corp.

By November, Walgreens will have completed fine-tuning its management structure for maximum effectiveness in realizing its three-pronged strategy. That strategy includes improving the front-end experience through retail theater. It includes establishing the pharmacist as the go-to source for healthcare, not just for the patient but for the payer, too. And it includes creating an unrivaled global economy of scale.

Now with all of the pieces in place, Walgreens has shown it has both a knack for creating the optimal retail health experience and identifying the corporate talent who possess a proven track record of transforming good ideas into better realities.

Walgreens last week made several executive moves to boost its Daily Living business organization, chief of which was the announcement that Alex Gourlay will make the transition from chief executive of Alliance Boots' health and beauty division to EVP, president of customer experience and daily living for Walgreens. http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/walgreens-announces-enhanced-daily-...

Gorley will fill in the vision and leadership hole Joe Magnacca left when he departed Walgreens to take on challenge of reinventing Radio Shack. The move showcases the kind of extended depth chart that is now enjoyed across Walgreens and Alliance Boots and takes Walgreens' strategy of tapping the best executives to fill strategic positions to a whole new global level.

Alliance Boots on Wednesday announced its contract manufacturing business BCM will invest heavier into core competency categories, such as beauty and skin care, as it discontinues third-party manufacturer development in unnamed "unprofitable" categories.

SPECIAL REPORTS

It’s done. A hearing aid category specific to the over-the-counter arena was signed into law in August; all that remains to be created is the regulatory framework. Read more in this special report. Read more...

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Drug Store News examines the biggest trends in the private label space; offers an update on the generics market; spotlights the biggest OTC trends; finds out how influencers are being used by beauty brands; and much more!Read more...